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F. E.Y FISHER. CASH CARRIER PROPRLLING MRGRANISM. No. 334,649. Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

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"UNITED i STAES PATENT OFFICEo FRANK E. FIsHER, oF DETROI'RFIICHIGAN,AssIeNoR To THE MERcHANTs sToRE RAILWAY-COMPANY, oF SAME PLACE.

CASH-CARRIEER-PROPIELLING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,649, dated January 19, 1886. Application filed October 12, 1885. Serial No. 179,707. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK'E. FIsHER, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Iniprovement in Cash-C`arrierPropelling Mechanisms, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention consists in an improved appliance for propelling a car upon a way hereinafterfully described, and pointed out in the claims. i

Figure l is avertical central section through the propelling mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the valve. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section through the cylinder, piston, and piston-rod.

Myy invention is designed for 4use in storeservice systems,'primarily, and consists, generally,` in a cylinder containing a piston and piston-rod, the'en'd of the piston-rod adapted to rest against'the car when at thel end of its Way, and means for suddenly admitting an elastic vapor into the cylinder.

W and X represent in dotted lines a way, preferably of Wire, and a car resting and adapted to travel upon said way. As the construction of said wayand car may be of various known types well understood, I do not deem a detailed description thereof necessary.

O represents a cylinder located parallel with and preferably just under one endof tlieway.

Prepresents a piston fitting in and adapted to move in said cylinder, and having thereon a piston-rod, Q, projecting beyond the end of the cylinder when the piston is at the inner end of its stroke, as shown in Fig. I.

M represents a pressure-chamber adapted to contain steam, compressed air, or any other elastic vapor, and communicates with the cylinder O by a small port, p.

N represents a valve working in said chamber M, and adapted to close or open said port p at will. This valve may be of any known construction, and the class indicated in the drawings is onenwhich is spring-packed, the valve consisting of a metal disk, in which are cut slots n n, to afford spring-sides o, which bear against the rear of the chamber M and keep the valve pressed against the side of the 5o chamber through which the port p opens.

When the car X is at the end of its way, it rests against the end of piston-rod Q. Now, by opening the port p by means of the valve N, the pressure ofthe elastic vapor in the chamber M is suddenly brought against the piston, 5 5 which is rapidly shot to the end of the cylinder, thus driving the car over the way.

To prevent the piston-rod from striking against the side of the car and makinga noise, I groove the piston-rod and pivot therein acatch, 6o R, the hooked end of which protrudes, when the car is against the piston-rod in position shown in Fig. 1, from the upper side of the piston rod and engages with a suitable catch upon the car. The catch R is held in this position bya light spring, U. When the piston-rod moves outwardly, passing through a guideopening, T, in the end of the cylinder, the rear end of catch R is raised by the wall of opening T, thereby throwing down the hooked end 7o of catclrR, and releasing the car in a manner leasily understood.

When the' chamber M is connected with a reservoir of steam or compressed air, the valve N may be moved by hand directly, or 7 5 by a small crank so set that it will only open the port p momentarily and close it at once.

When no source kof power, such as steam, dre., is convenient, and it is desirable to generate the power necessary to work the device 8o just as wanted, I attach the device shown in the drawings, in which A represents a support adapted to be secured in any convenient position, and having in its upper part a cylinder, I, which is connected with the pressurechamber M by a pipe, L.

Crepresents a shaft journaled in A, and carrying on one end a crank, D, provided with an ordinary handle, and on the other end a crank, E, provided with a wrist-pin, F. 9o

G represents a packed piston, fitting and moving in cylinder I, and H represents a pitman pivoted to wrist-pin F and piston G, and playing in the chamber B of the support A.

J represents a rod attached to the upper side 9 5 of piston G and extending up into pipe L, and has cut therein a long vertical slot, c'. The easiest way to make rod J is to take a piece of gas-pipe of sufficient diameter to receive the valvespindle K, which is secured to the valve Ioo N, and extends down through pipe Liuto rod J, to which it is secured by a pin, k, which passes through the valve-spindle K and into the slot i', so that a continuons reciprocating motion of rod J will give valve-spindle K an intermittent reciprocating motion.

j represents one or more small holes cut through the wall of cylinder I, just above the lowest position of piston G, to supply air to the cylinder to compensate for leakage, and may be used or not at will.

The operation of this device is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. Il, with the car resting against the end of piston-rod Q, and locked thereto by the catch R, the crank D is rotated. This, acting through d shaft C, crank E, and pitnian H, forces piston G upward, compressing the air in cylinder I, pipe L, and pressure-chamber M. Rod J rises with piston G, and when the lower end ol' slot'i comes in contact with pin k valvespiudle Il is forced upward, carrying with it valve N, thereby uncovering port p and suddenly vadmitting a charge of compressed air into cylinder O. This gives piston Q a sudden impulse, which is transmitted to car X through piston-rod Q, and as piston-rod Q moves through the guide-opening T catch R is tripped and the car released from the piston-rod to proceed along the way. The reverse motion of piston G exhausts the air from cylinder Q, thus drawing piston P back to its original position, and near the end of the downward stroke of piston G the upper end of slot strikes pin k and draws valve N down, so as to close port p. If there is any leakage of air from any of the parts, it will be made up bythe admission of air through the holes j; and it is advisable to so construct the moving parts that their weight will at all times keep piston G at the lower end of its stroke, except when forced upward by power applied to the crank.

What I claim as my invention, and desire` to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with a way and a car adapted to travel upon said way, a cylinder containing` a piston and piston-rod, a pressnre-chamber, a port connecting said cylinder with said pressure chamber, and a `valve whereby said port can be closed or opened at will, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with a way, a car adapted to travel on said way, a cylinder located near and parallel with said way, a piston and piston-rod in said cylinder, a pressure-chamber having a port connecting it with said cylinder, and a valve adapted to control said port, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the piston-rod Q and guide-opening T, the pivoted catch It, hung in a slot in said piston-rod, substantially as shown and described.

4. The herein-described mechanism for propelling a car upon a way, consisting of a cylinder, a piston and piston-rod within said cylinder, a pressure-chamber connected by a port with said cylinder, a valve adapted to control said port, an air-compressor connected with said pressure-chamber, and a connection between the piston of said air-eompressorard the spindle of said valve, whereby the movement of the piston of said air-compressor actuatcs said valve, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination with the airco1npressor consisting of the cylinder l, )iston J, andactuating mechanism C D E F H, the pressurechaniber M, connected with cylinder I by the pipe L, valve N, having spindle K, rod J, scoured to the piston G, and having therein the sloti to engage with pin k in spindle K, cylinder O, connected with pressure-chamber M by port p, and piston and piston-rod P Q, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In combination with a car adapted to travel upon a way, a cylinder containing a piston and piston-rod adapted to come in contact with said car, a reservoir containing elastic vapor in a state of tension, a port connecting said reservoir with said cylinder, and a valve controlling said port, substantially as shown and described.

FRANK E. FISHER.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES B. LOTHROP, SUMNER COLLINS. 

